Police Officer (Certified)

Purpose of Classification

The City of Boynton Beach's Police Officers are responsible for maintaining peace and safety, protecting life and property, and promoting community engagement and trust for the third largest municipality in Palm Beach County with an estimated population of approximately 75,000 residents. Boynton Beach Police Officers serve a highly diverse and multicultural community, which includes African Americans, Hispanics, French Creoles, Indigenous Americans, and Asians among its more than 75,000 residents.

Officers carry out these responsibilities by: patrolling an assigned area; responding to emergency calls; resolving conflicts; engaging in community policing and community relations, investigating crimes; rendering medical assistance; writing reports (using, software, computers, portable technology devices, and mobile data computers); handling crises or stressful situations, which may involve juveniles, the elderly, or the disabled; testifying in court; and enforcing Florida State laws and City Ordinances. Officers do this individually and sometimes as a member of a team, under direction of a supervisor. Once Officers have patrol experience they may be eligible to serve as part of a specialized unit (community policing, bicycle patrol, marine/boat patrol, motorcycle traffic enforcement, narcotics, criminal investigation, crime prevention, and others).

To accomplish this important work all Police Officers are expected to maintain their physical and mental fitness. All work is performed in accordance with City and Police Department policies and standard operating procedures.

Position Starting Annualized Salary:

Police Officer (Certified): $64,949*

• The starting rate of pay for newly hired police officers, who were actively employed for a

minimum of two (2) years as a certified law enforcement officer with a comparable agency, will be calculated as follows:

• Upon hire, officer will start at Step 0.

• Upon completion of probation, the officer is eligible to advance one (1) step for every two (2) full years of prior comparable certified law enforcement service, to a maximum of Step 3 ($75,186.63).

Certified Police Officer Incentive:

Certified Police Officers hired with the Boynton Beach Police Department will be eligible to receive a $5,000 incentive. This incentive will be paid as follows:

• $2,500 upon hire.
• $1,500 after six (6) months of employment - after successfully completing FTO.
• $1,000 after successful completion of probation.

Essential Functions

KNOWLEDGE

• Knowledge of approved principles and practices of police work.

• Knowledge of applicable laws and *ordinances.

• Knowledge of the City of Boynton Beach's geography, physical, cultural, and social characteristics.*

• Knowledge of basic first aid methods, *Stop the Bleed, and *Mental Health First Aid.

• This specific knowledge may be acquired during employment and is not necessary to have at the time of application.

SKILLS, ABILITIES, AND OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

• Read and comprehend police-related technical and legal information.

• Document (write) incidents and actions accurately, completely, and legibly using standard forms; must also document using computer software/programs.

• Communicate effectively using both spoken (in English) and non-verbal methods.

• Visually scan a scene for potential hazards, weapons, or evidence of a threat.

• Willingness to challenge or confront people when necessary and justified.

• Evaluate and choose between conflicting alternatives with partial or incomplete information.

• Compare letters, numbers, words, or pictures to determine those that are the same or different.

• Apply prior experience and knowledge to assess a specific situation (for example, recognize criminal activity, identify evidence, recognize potential hazards or threats, etc.).

• Take immediate action in an emergency or evolving situation.

• Adapt own actions to rapidly changing conditions based on the nature of the situation.

• Observe, remember, and identify what is unique about individuals, vehicles, or property (such as, physical appearance, clothing, vehicle model, color, or damage, etc.).

• Safely operate an emergency vehicle while under various road and weather conditions.

• Safety and effectively use standard issued police equipment and tools.

• Establish control of a situation through oral commands, body language, and demeanor.

• Recognize and appropriately respond to citizen needs.

• Show compassion, emotional support, and empathy for others.

• Explain and educate others regarding standards of acceptable and unacceptable behavior using plain, non-offensive language.

• Accept responsibility for own actions.

• Work harmoniously with people and agencies, who you do not have control over, to achieve a common goal.

• Complete tasks with specified level of detail and accuracy.

• Maintain the level of physical conditioning, fitness, and endurance needed to perform essential duties.

• Maintain control of emotional reactions and impulses while taking charge of or handling a disagreeable or dangerous situation.

• Climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl in the pursuit of suspects and/or in crime scene investigations.

• Stand, walk, or run in the apprehension of suspects.

• Lift, carry, push or pull persons, vehicles, or property.

• Communicate and interact courteously and effectively with the public in all situations in which you are representing the City.

Minimum Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Police Officer (Certified)

• Be a United States citizen (U.S. born or naturalized).

• Have a high school diploma or General Education Development (GED) equivalent, which includes United States Armed Forces Institute (USAFI) tests. Equivalence of non-U.S. education must be approved by the State of Florida's Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission.

• Florida Department of Law Enforcement Certification (Out-of-State Police Officer Certification will be considered with supporting training curriculum attached to this application).

• Be at least 19 years of age at time of application.

• Possess, or be eligible to obtain within seven (7) calendar days of hire, a valid Florida driver's license.

• Successfully complete any hiring process assessments.

• Additional training and/or certification(s) may be required as appropriate to assignment.

Additional Minimum Requirements for Out-of-State or Federally Certified Candidates:

Out-of-state or federally certified applicants also must provide verifiable proof of at least one (1) year of full-time, independent law enforcement experience within the past eight (8) years (excluding any academy training hours). This information must be included in the Work Experience section of this application.

PREFERRED ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Completed at least sixty (60) college credit hours toward a two (2) year degree or higher from an accredited private or public institution with at least a documented GPA of 2.0.

• Be at least 21 years of age at time of hire.

• Have at least one year of experience during which you had to establish and maintain a positive and effective relationship with others, i.e. working together as part of a team. Additionalinformation about your experience must be documented in the appropriate field in the Supplemental Questions in this application.

• Have fluency in a language other than English, especially languages frequently used by Boynton Beach residents and visitors which include: Spanish, French Creole, Portuguese, Asian/Indo-European languages, and/or American Sign Language. The City reserves the right to verify fluency.

Supplemental Information

POST-OFFER REQUIREMENTS

Candidates who are selected for hire are first provided a "conditional offer" and are then required to successfully complete all of the following:

• Physical Exam

• Drug Screen

• Psychological Evaluation

• Comprehensive Background Investigation

• Computer Voice Stress Analysis (CVSA) or similar assessment tool

Additional Post-Offer Requirements for Out-of-State or Federally Certified Candidates

• Equivalency of Academy Training (92 hours), which includes High Liability

• State Officer Certification Exam

DISQUALIFYING CONDITIONS

Below is a list of factors that will disqualify you from being considered for employment as a Police Officer for the City of Boynton Beach. This is not an exhaustive list, and other factors, such as moral character, may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Moral character may include, but is not limited to, factors such as criminal activity (e.g. crimes against society, persons, or property) as well as prior work history or general life experiences. These factors are considered on a case-by-case basis which may include, among other elements, the facts of each case, your age at the time, and the number of incidents.

Within the past 3 years (36 months) you must NOT have had any of the following:

• 8 or more points on your driving record

• Traffic-related suspension of your driver's license

• Revocation of your driver's license

• 4 or more moving violations

• Conviction or case pending for DUI, DWI, BUI, or Hit and Run

• Outstanding traffic warrants or current pending citations (including unpaid traffic fines)

At any time, you must NOT have had any of the following:

• Convicted of, or pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to, any felony offense

• Convicted of, or pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to, any misdemeanor offense involving perjury, making a false statement, or domestic/family violence (including abuse of any high-risk population: children, elderly, or disabled).

• Received less than an Honorable Discharge from any of the U.S. Armed Services.

• Must NOT have body art or branding (of any kind) that:

• Covers your head, neck, or hands.

• Contains words or images depicting swear words, nudity, gang signs or affiliations, disrespect to any protected class including sexual orientation or sexual identification, or similarly offensive art.

• Additional restrictions on body art, branding, scarification, or piercing may be determined at the discretion of the Chief of Police on a case-by-case basis.

Must NOT currently:

• Be under criminal investigation or have criminalcharges pending.

VETERANS' PREFERENCE:

Certain servicemembers and veterans, and the spouses and family members of such servicemembers and veterans, receive preference and priority in the City's hiring process. Additionally, certain servicemembers may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements in employment by the City.